Storms are lashing the East Coast from Virginia to Connecticut, flooding roadways and delaying flights from Boston to Washington, D.C.

With rainfall rates that prolific, the threat of flash flooding is highly imminent. The flooding may prove to be locally severe, causing travel disruptions, property damage and the need for water rescues.

A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, making storms capable of unleashing huge amounts of rain over land. Studies have shown that for every degree Fahrenheit that the planet heats up, the atmosphere can hold around 3% to 4% more moisture. As a result, flooding risks across the country are expected to increase in the coming years.